Textile drafting



June 11, 1957 R. J. DE LATHAUWER TEXTILE DRAFTING s She'ets-Shet 1 Filed. Aug. 21-, 1952 lNVENTOR- RENE J. DeLA THAUWER, ym #W M A ATTiS.

June 11, 1957 R. J. DE LATHAUWER 9 TEXTILE DRAFTING Filed Aug. 2]., 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 11, 1957 R. J. DE LATHAUWER 2,795,013

TEXTILE DRAFTING 3- Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed Aug. 21, 1952 INVENTOR Arrrs.

United States PatentYO TEXTILE DRAFT-lNG Rene J. de Lathauwer, Methuen, Mass. Application August 21, 1952, Serial No. 305,551

9 Claims. (Cl. 19--165) The present invention relates primarily to machines known as pin drafters which are used in, the manufacture of woolen and worsted goods to combine a group of supply slivers into a single sliver, drafting it at the same time and coiling it in a can ready for further subsequentdrawing or spinning. The present invention has for its object to provide an effective means for stopping the machine when the sliver varies in size, beyond certain predetermined limits and at the same time to prevent stopping the machine when the variations in the size of the sliver are not outside the predetermined limits.

The present invention is an improvement on the machine shown in my prior Patent No. 2,694,838, November Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plain view of the machine embodying my invention, portions only of the gill box being shown.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the arrangement. of the combs in the draft rollers in the gill box.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the detector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view showing switch arm held out of opera- Fig. 12 shows a plan and side elevation of a triangular platform.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 in which is shown a machine which combines groups of five supply slivers 11 from five supply cans 12 into a single sliver 13 drawing it down to a small size as indicated at 14 and delivering it to coiler heads 15 which coil it down in suitable. receiving cans not shown. After passing the separator bar 17 the five supply slivers enter the gill box 18 where they are combed and drawn by combers or fallers 20 and 21. After leaving the gill box 18 the slivers 13 pass through condensers 25. At this time the slivers are reduced in size and compacted and should be of uniform diameter throughout their length. 7

On leaving the condensers 25 the slivers 14 are guided to the eye 27 of, the coiler 15 (see Figs. l-3 and 5) by 1 means of acylindrical rod or tube 30 around which the sliver passes in a spiral path. Any suitable guiding means may be used. 7 7

On the top of each coiler head 15 is a bracket. 36 to which the guide 30 is secured. This bracket contains an 2,795,013. Patented June 11, 1957 Figs. 3 and 5). The horizontal arm 40 is provided with a notch 42 having a depth considerably greater than the diameter of the sliver passing through the notch. At the narrowest portion, the notch has a width substantially equal to the desired diameter of the sliver and the sides of the notch flare outwardly and downwardly as shown in Fig. 3. At its upper end the vertical arm 43 carries an extension 44 having a screw threaded stem 45 which is secured in place by a set nut 46. This enables the upper end of the arm 43 of the bell crank to be adjusted vertically as required. The upper end of the extension 44 is provided with a hole 47 in which is received the stem 48 of an interchangeable platform 49 having an upper face which is in a horizontal plane when the arm 43 of the bell crank is in vertical position. The platform 49, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 6, has opposite edge portions el and e2 defining limits of upward support for a switch operating element 56, as will appear. Platforms having top surfaces of difierent sizes may be substituted according to the uniformity of sliver which it is desired to produce. Two platforms 50 and 51 of smaller sizes than the platform 49 are shown in Fig. 8.

The extension 44 is also provided with a horizontal rod 52 screw threaded at its ends and provided with thumb nuts 53 and 54 respectively by means of which the bell crank may be counterbalanced so that the notch 42 will rest lightly on the sliver 14. The vertical arm 4301. the bell crank tends to move to the left in dot and dash lines as shown in Fig. 3 when the sliver in the notch is too small and to the right when the sliver is too large. The

' movement of the arm 43 is limited by stops 54, 54 on the bracket 36.

At 55 (see Figs. 3 and 4) is a pivot on which is a switch operating element embodied as a switch arm 56 swinging in a vertical plane and having a downwardly extending point or projection 57 normally resting on the top surface of the platform 49 and at the center thereof. The arm 56 carries a mercury switch 58 so arranged that when the arm 56 drops from its normal position on the top surface down below either of said opposite edge portions the mercury in the switch completes an electric circuit 59 and actuates a stop motion (not shown) which stops the machine. There is also provided a cam 60 on a shaft 61 on an extension 62 of the bracket 36 and having a knurled knob on the other end. The cam 60 is so placed that it can be turned to raise the switch arm 56 so that its downwardly extending contact point 57 will no longer rest upon the platform 49 as shown in Fig. 4.

The extension 62 (see Fig. 6) is adjustable horizontally to center the contact point 57 on the platform 49-, by means of a thumb-screw 63 whose shaft 64 passes through a lug 65 on the bracket 36 and a screw-threaded lug on the extension 62. A slot 68 in the extension 62 permits the adjustment to be made and a clamping screw 69 holds the parts together in adjusted position.

The operation of the device in the form described is as follows: When the machine is producing normal sliver, the notch in the horizontal arm 40 rests on the sliver 14 and holds the arm 43 in a substantially vertical position, the-counterweights 53 and 53 having been adjusted so that the arm 43 will exert very little pressure on the sliver. As the sliver varies in size between the predetermined limits, the platform 49 is moved back and forth'under the contact point 57 but contact is still maintained and the machine is not stopped. Throughout this normal operation the mercury switch 58 is open and the machine continues to operate.

However, if a spot in the sliver, which is less than the predetermined minimum limit, passes under the feeler 40 the platform 49 is moved so far to the left as shown in Fig. 3, that the contact point 57 rides over the edge eZand off the platform and the switch arm 56 drops down, tilting the mercury switch 58 and stopping the machine. Likewise if a thick spot having a diameter greater than the predetermined maximum limit, passes under the feeler 40 the platform 49 is carried to the right and the contact 57 rides over the edge 21 andofi the top surface allowing the switch arm 56 to drop down 'andstop the machine. Thus, the machine is stopped whenever the up and down movement of the notched arm 40 is great enough to move the platform 49 in either direction out from under the contact point 57. Therefore the sliver may vary in size within the prescribed limits but when these limits are passed the machine will be stopped and the prescribed limits may be varied by substituting a largerior smaller platform 49 as may be required. For convenience, a light 70 is placed in the circuit 59 and thislights' when 'the machine is stopped, showing the operator which sliver has stopped the machine. The operator can also see by the position of the vertical arm 43, and the platform 49 which sliver, has stopped the machine. After, the machine has been stopped, the operator turns the cam 60 by the knurled thumb screw knob 108 and raises the switch arm 56 to the position indicated in Fig. ,4, so that she can remove the defective portion of the sliver, and join the ends. She then replaces the vertical arm 43 in running position and lowers the switch arm 56 so that thecontact point 57 again rests on the upper surface of the platform,

In Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 ,I have shown an embodiment. of my invention in slightly modified form. this embodiment the feeler 80, vertical arm 81, counterbalancing weights 82, 82 and extension 83 of the vertical arm 81 are the same as in the other, form of my invention. The electrical parts are also identical and therefore are not shown. .However, platform 84 on the upper end of the extension 83 has converging sides being triangular in shape as shown in Fi g. 12.

At 85 (see Fig. 10)' is shown a switch arm having a contact point 86 which when in operating position rests on the upper surface of a platform 84. The switch arm:

85 is pivoted at 87 to the upward extension 62 of the bracket 36. The switch arm 85 is provided with a boss 88 forming a hearing so that the switch arm may be moved lengthwise of the bearing, i. e., to the right or .left as shown in Fig. 10, and thereby the contact point 86 may be moved lengthwise of the triangular platform 84. This is accomplished by a bracket 89slidable on a pin 90 fixed to the extension 62 of bracket 36 and having a horizontal arm 91 with a hole in it which embraces the pin 92,011 the upperend of the switch arm 85. The bracket 89 may he slid lengthwise of the, fixed pin 90 by means of a thumb nut 93 on the end of a screw 94 which passes through a screw-threaded hole 95 in the depending arm of the bracket 89. The bracket 89 is slotted as shown at 98 in Fig. 11 to permit the pin 92 on the switch arm 85 Ito move during the swinging movement of the switch arm but the slot fits the pin closely enough so that it will move the switch arm along the pivot shaft 87 when the partsyare'being adjusted to vary the range of permissible variation of the sliver. By turning the thumb nut 93 the position of the contact point 86 with respect to the width of the triangular platform 84 may be varied and thereby the permissible range of variation in size of the sliver may be changed without substituting a different platform. For instance, if the movable contact point is adjusted so that it will travel along the line a, b in Fig. 12, a relatively large variation in the size of the sliver will be permitted. On the other hand, if it is adjusted so that the travel is along the line c, d in Fig. 12, the travel will be short and variations in the size of the sliver will be kept within close limits. By this arrangement the operator may adjust the machine to permit certain variations in size of sliver.

The relation at the contact point to the width of the triangular surface of the platform will be seen in Fig. 11 in which the machine is shown as adjusted to permit 4 small variations in size, for instance, about that indicated by the line 0, d in Fig. 12.

Otherwise than as described, the construction and mode of operation of the device shown in Figs. 9-12 is the same as in Figs. 1-18 inclusive. Under certain con ditions, it is desirable to use interchangeable platforms of different size such as are shown in Fig. 8 while under other conditions the use of a platform with converging sides is desirable. While I have shown in Figs. 3 and 8 circular platforms and in Figs 9, 10, 11 and 12 platforms which are triangular in shape, and vary in width from front to back it will be understood that the essential thing is to have a platform which will allow the predetermined variations in width but will stop the machine when the prescribed variations are exceeded.

Iclaim:

1. In a defective work detector for drafting machine. producing a sliver and in combination; a feeler resting von the sliver, a feeler arm movable by the feeler, a fiat platform carried by the feeler arm, stop mechanism, a switch arm normally insubstantially horizontal position and having a contact point resting on the platform on the feeler arm, and a mercury switch on the switch arm andv operating to actuate the stop mechanism and stop the machine when the switch arm' is moved out of horizontal position by movementof the platform out of contact with the contact point.

2. A defective work detector mechanism for operating a stop mechanism in a drafting machine which produces a sliver, comprising movable means including a fecler element arranged to make contact with a moving sliver and to move in either of opposite directions in response to variations in said sliver, said movablemeans including a substantially horizontal platform movable generally horizontally in either of two directions in response to the movement of said feeler element, a downwardly movable switch operating element normally upwardly supported by said platform, said platform having a top surface including opposite edge portions defining limits of upward support by said platform for said switch operating element, and control mechanism for said stop mechanism including a switch actuated by downward movement of said switch operating element from its normal position on the top surface below either of said opposite edge portions when said platform moves in either direction beyond said limits of support and out from under said switch operating element in response to the movement of said feeler.

3. In the combination as set forth in claim 2, said platform being removably replaceable by another platform having a different distance between said edge portions thereby defining different said limits of upward support.

4. In the combination as set forth in claim 2, said edge portions converging in a direction lateral to the said directions of movement of said platform, and means adjustablyto shift the position of said switch operating element in said lateral direction relative to said converging edge portions thereby to vary the said limits of upward support.

5. In. the combination as set forth in claim 2, counterbalancing means for said movable means whereby the movable means may be adjusted so that the said feeler element makes sensitively responsive contact with said sliver.

6. A defective work detector mechanism for operating a stop mechanism in a drafting machine which produces a sliver, comprising pivotally movable means including a horizontal arm and a vertical arm movable in either of opposite directions'in response to the movement of said horizontal arm, said horizontal arm having a fecler ele ment arranged to make contact with a sliver moving thereunder and to move up and down in response to variations in said sliver, said vertical arm having on its upper end a substantially horizontal platform, a pivotally mounted Switch armnormally upwardly supported by said platform, said platform having a top surface including opposite edge portions defining limits of upward support by said platform for said switch arm, and control mechanism for said stop mechanism including a switch actuated by downward movement of said switch arm when said platform moves in either direction beyond said limits of support and out from under said switch arm in response to the movement of said feeler.

7. In the combination as set forth in claim 6, said platform being removably replaceable by another platform having a different distance between said edge portions thereby defining diiferent said limits of upward support.

8. In the combination as set forth in claim 6, said edge portions converging in a direction lateral to the said directions of movement of said platform, and means adjust- 6 ably to shift the position of said switch arm in said lateral direction relative to said converging edge portions thereby to vary the said limits of upward support.

9. In the combination as set forth in claim 6, counterbalancing means for said pivotally movable means whereby the pivotally movable means may be adjusted so that the said feeler element makes sensitively responsive contact with said sliver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 327,696 King Oct. 6, 1885 538,537 Rogers Apr. 30, 1895 581,548 Geb Apr. 27, 1897 1,892,116 Parker Dec. 27, 1932 

